Counterbalanced chute.



Patented June I2; I900.

ED CHUTE. 3

i .1 M H L. J. ANDERSON. COUNTERBALANG JI lllll Patented ll me I2, 1900:

L. J. ANDERSON. COUNTERBALANCED CHUTE.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.)

2 SheetsS-heet 2.

(No Model.)

NIT-ED STATES I PATENT FEICE.

LOUIS J. ANDERSON, OF ESCANABA, MICHIGAN.

COUNTERBALANCED CH UTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,333, dated June 12, 1900.

Application filed June 15, 1899.

To all whom it rway concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS J. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Escanaba, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsinOounterbalanced Chutes, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates particularly to that class of chutes which are used in connection with ore-bins, and especially to the means by which the chute is counterbalanced and raised and lowered into its inoperative and operative posit-ions.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efiicient counterbalanced chute; and the'invention consists in the features, combinations, and de tails of construction herein afterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, of an ore bin, discharge-chute, and counterbalancing mechanism constructed and arranged in accordance with myimprovements; and Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same. In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that it is desirable and, indeed, essential to counterbalance the discharge: chute of an ore-bin as perfect-ly'as possible, first, for the purpose of enabling the workmen to raise and lower the. chute with the least expenditure of time and labor, and, second, to prevent t-he-rapidwear or destruction of the parts. i v v The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide an ore-bin with a pivoted chute, counterbalancing mechanism, and means for raising and lowering it which will have the advantages-above noted, thedetails of which will be more fully hereinafter set forth. I

In constructing my improvements'a hopper bin or pocket A is'provided, made of metal or other suitable material and of the size, shape, and strength to hold the desired quantity of ore. This pocket is secured to and supported on suitable framework or staging B on a'dock or other place where it is economical or desirable to store the ore and hold it until such time as it maybe necessary to dump it into cars or boats for transportation.

In order to discharge the ore into a suitable Serial No. 720,710. (No model.)

vehicle for transportation, a discharge-chute G is provided and pivoted at c to the orepocket at or near its discharge-opening a. It is necessary at different times to raise and lower this chute, and as it is generally made of a heavy piece of cast or wrought iron, steel plates, or other material and weighs in the neighborhood of from two to three thousand pounds it is desirable to counterbalance it, so that the labor of raising and lowering it and the time occupied in these operations may be minimized as much as possible. In order to accomplish this result, a primary winding-drum D is provided and mounted upon a winding-shaft E, having suitable bearings on the framework. This winding-drum is provided with a cable, cord, or similar element G, having one end fixed thereto so as to be wound around the same, and the other secured to the discharge-chute at or near its free end, the parts being 'so arranged that during the operations of the winding and unwinding the cahle the chute is raisedand lowered.. x

To counterbalance the weight of the chute, so that it maybe raised and lowered with the least expenditure of laborand time, a second winding-drum H is provided and also mounted upon the winding-shaft. This second windsimilar element which has one end attached to the same, so as to be oppositely wound around it, and the other to a segmental lever -I, which is pivotally secured to the supporting-framework at i. v

to the same pivotal point as the, segmental lever is a straight lever K of greater length than the radius of the segmental" lever and which is provided with a plurality of holes 70 at or near its free end, into which acounterriphery of the segmental lever is also provided with a plurality of holes 01', and the a slot 10 in the lever to permit the insertion of the pin in different holes 1 so that the po-' sition. of engagement of the segmental lever with the straight lever may be changed whenever it is desirable or necessary, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

An inspection of the drawings will show ing-drum is provided with a cable, cord, or.

balancing-weight L may be secured. I The po end secured to a bail g, which ispivotally Independently secured straight lever with a pin is, passing through IOO balance on the chute and the chute on the counterbalance change to suit or compensate for the variation of weight caused by the different positions which the discharge-chute assumes as itis raised and lowered. By this arrangement a uniform application of power is all that is necessary to raise the chute at any time, and the effect of the counterbalancing-weight is also uniform to sustain the chute in any desired position.

The adjustable connection of the straight and segmental levers is provided for the purpose of permitting the connterbalance-weight to swing through a longer or shorter are or to change the ratio of the counterbalanced weight with the chute whenever it mayseem desirable or necessary.

For the purpose of applying power to the winding-shaft, with its drums, when necessary so to do a counter-shaft M is provided, having a pinion m engaging with a geardon the primary winding-drum. This countershaft is also provided with a bell-crank m, which the operator may take hold of to wind or unwind the drums.

To hold the parts in any desired position and at the same time prevent the dropping of the discharge -chute when ore is passing through the same, a pawl P is provided and pivoted at 1) to the pocket. This pawl is arranged so as to engage ratchet-teeth d on the inner side of the main winding-drum and is provided with a handle 12, by which it may be pulled out of its lockingeugagementwith the ratchet-teeth.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards details of construction and arrangement, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly or anymore than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes inform, construction, and arrangement, the

omission of immaterial elements, and the subweight adjustable in relation to the pivot of the curved lever, and a changeable support for the counterbalancing-weight on the curved lever for adjusting the counterbalancingweight and lever to properly raise and lower the chute by shifting the rolationof the support of the weightand lever, substantially as described.

2. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a pocket adapted to receive and hold ore and provided with a dischargeopening, a discharge chnte pivotally secured to the hopper or pocket adjacent to the dis charge-opening, a primary winding-drum, a cable secured to the primary winding-drum and to the discharge-chute at its front end, a second winding-drum, a segmental pivoted lever haviiig its periphery eccentric with the pivotal point, a cable secured to the second winding-dru m and to the periphery of the segmental lever, a counterbalancing-weight adjustable in relation to the segmental lever, and a changeable support for the weight on the segmental lever for adjusting the Weight in relation to the lever to assist in raising and lowering the chute by shifting the position of the support bet-ween the weight and the lover, substantially as described.

3. Inmechanisms of the class described,

the combination of a hopper-bin for the material provided with a discharge-opening at its lower portion, a discharge-chute pivotally secured to the hopper-bin at its dischargeopening, a winding-shaft, a primary winding-drum on such shaft, a cable connecting the primary winding-drum with the dischargechute at its free end, a second winding-drum of relatively-smaller diameter than the primary winding-drum secured to the windingshaft, a segmental pivoted lever having its periphery eccentric with the pivotal point, a cable secured to, the second winding-drum and to the periphery of thesegmental lover, a counterbalancing-weight adjustable in relation to the pivotal point of the segmental lever, and a movable support forthe weight on the lever for adjusting the weight properly toassist in raising and lowering the discharge-chute and counterbalancin g the chute by shifting the position of the support between the weight and the lever,substantially as described. a q

4. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of ahopper-bin provided with a discharge-opening at its lower portion, a discharge-chute pivotally secured to the hopper-bin at the discharge-opening, a

main winding-shaft, a primary winding-drum 011 such shaft, a cable connected with the primary winding-drum and with the dis charge-chute at its free end, a second winding-drum, a segmental pivoted lever having its periphery eccentric with its pivot, a cable connecting the second winding-dru m with the periphery of the segmental lover, a piv-' voted straight lever carrying a counterbalanc ing-weight, and a movable support for the straight lever on the segmental lever, substantially as described.

5. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a hopper-bin provided with a discharge-opening at its lower portion, a discharge-chute pivotally secured to the hopper-bin at the discharge-opening, a main winding-shaft, a primary winding-dru m on such shaft, a cable connected with the primary winding-drum and with the discharge-chute at its free end, a second winding-drum, a segmental pivoted lever having its periphery eccentric with its pivot, a cable connecting the second winding-drum and the periphery of the segmental lever, a pivoted straight lever of greater length than any radius of the segmental lever, an adjustable weight on the straight lever, and a movable support between the straight lever and the segmental lever for changeably engaging the two levers, substantially as described.

6. In mechanisms of the class described,

I the combination of a hopper-bin provided with a discharge-opening at its lower portion, a discharge-chute pivotally secured to the hopper-bin at its discharge-opening, a main winding-shaft, a primary winding-drum on such shaft, a cable secured to the primary winding-drum and to the discharge-chute at its free end, a second winding-drum on the winding-shaft, a segmental pivoted lever provided with a periphery of increasing radii, a cable secured to the periphery of the segmental lever and to the second Winding-drum, a substantially-straight lever pivoted at the same point as the segmental lever and of greaterlength than the radius of the segmental lever, a counterbalancing-weight secured to the straight lever at its free end, and means for adjustably securing the straight and segmental levers together, snbstantially as described.

7. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a hopper-bin provided with a discharge-opening at itslower end, a discharge-chute pivotally secured to the hopper-bin adjacent to the discharge-opening, a

main winding-shaft, aprimarywinding-drum on said shaft, a cable secured to the primary winding-drum and to the discharge-chute at its free end, a second winding-drum of relatively smaller diameter than the primary winding-drum, a segmental pivoted lever having a periphery of gradually-increasing radii, a cable connecting the segmental lever with the second winding-drum, a straight lever of greater length than any radius of the segmental lever, a counterbalancing weight, means for securing the counterbalance-weight in different positions to the straight lever and at difierent distances from its pivotal point, and means for adj ustably securingthe straight .and segmental levers together, substantially as described.

8. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a hopperv bin or pocket provided with a disch'arge-openin g at its lower end, a discharge-chute pivotally secured to the hopper-bin adjacent to the dischargeopening, a main winding-shaft, a primary Winding-drum on said shaft, a cable, secured to the primary winding-drum and to the dis charge-chute at its free end, a second winding-drum of relatively-smaller diameter than the primary winding-drum, a segmental pivoted lever having a curved periphery of increasing radii, a cable, connecting the Seg mental lever with the second Winding-drum, a straight lever of greater length than the radius of the segmental lever, a counterbalancing-weight, means for securing the counterbalance-weight in different positions to the straight lever at its free end and at difierent distances from the pivotal point, means for adjnstably securing the straight and segmental levers together, a gear on the main winding-drum, a crank-handled counter-shat t provided with a pinion engaging with the gear on the main winding-drum, and ratchet-andpawl mechanism to hold the parts in the desired position, substantially as described.

LOUIS J ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

BELLE W. BARRY, THOMAS B. McGREeoR. 

